WHO Executive Board Considers Adding Several Organizations Into Official Relations; Some Groups Raise Concerns Over Gates Foundation Trust’s Investments

Jan 30, 2017

International Property Watch: Is Gates Foundation, WHO’s Biggest Private Funder, Ineligible To Join WHO?
“As the World Health Organization Board prepares to consider candidate institutions to be admitted into official relations with the U.N. agency, some health and public interest groups are raising alarm at what they see as a seeming lack of safeguard against conflicts of interest. Particular concern has been raised over admitting the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as an observer because of the Foundation trust’s investments in business ventures such as Coca-Cola, which they see as contrary to health goals. But the Gates Foundation, which is the biggest private donor of the WHO, said the trust is a separate entity from the foundation, and refutes any conflicts of interest…” (Saez, 1/29).